Cristiano Ronaldo Jr has earned his maiden call-up to Portugal’s Under-17 side for the European Championship qualifiers in November. The 16-year-old, known as Cristianinho, joins coach Filipe Ramos’ 23-man group, taking another step along the path his famous father once travelled.

Portugal open against Andorra on November 11, then meet Bulgaria on November 14 and Serbia on November 17. All three games are at the Portuguese Football Federation’s Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras, and only the top two in the four-team group progress.

He made his Portugal Under-15 debut in May 2025 and has since won 13 caps across the junior ranks, scoring five goals. Two came in four Under-15 appearances, and three in nine for the Under-16s, before this promotion to the next age group.

At club level, Cristiano Jr is in the Al Nassr academy, the club his father plays for, and has scored three goals in seven appearances this season, according to Zerozero. He has also trained at the academies of Juventus and Manchester United.

His father is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Portugal’s all-time leading scorer, who made his senior debut at 18 in 2003 and captained the nation to Euro 2016 glory. Comparisons are inevitable, though the son’s own record is still being written.

Ronaldo has been measured about the boy’s prospects before. “He has potential. He is fast, he dribbles well, but that’s not enough. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” he said, adding he will not pressure him to become a player.

The call-up arrives while Ronaldo’s own Portugal status is unsettled. He left the senior camp in September after being left out against Norway and criticised coach Jorge Jesus, but should be available against Denmark in the Nations League on November 14.

Cape Verde has also voiced hope that he could one day represent the island nation, because his grandmother comes from the archipelago. For now, though, Portugal is his obvious international choice, and the qualifiers offer him a chance to establish himself on the youth stage.